Washing machine



s Smets-*sheet 1 `vAucsulcsmmn WASHING MACHINE rfiiedpril` 4; 1954 Inventor 1 )May 4,1937.`

August Guignard,

um im May 4, 1937- 1 ApGUlGNARD y 2,078,941"

WASHING MACHINE orney` M5614, 1937- 1 A. GUIGNARD y `2;OV78,94fl

WASHING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1934 svsheets-sheet 5 "August Guignard Inventor l sa( l i orney ulm-'ravi STATES) OFFICE i ,L 250739941 f y WASHINGMAHINE e August Guignard, Hobdmv', oreg. i Application Aprila, i934, serial Naaiaa'zs f o 3 claims. kol. `14s-+134) i My invention relates tomachines for the Washing: of fruits, vegetablesand other products.

. `It is particularly Well adapted forthe washing of products where a violent action of 'the l treatnI ing` and. Washing solutions isV essentiallto thoroughly clean the material being conditioned.

' 1 Myfinvention` is particularlyadapted for use where these cleaning and washing solutions are `aciduous..` f l f e i My invention is `primarily comprised of a leg supported tank `that is divided into `compart- 1 `men`ts in which vthe Washing` solution isdisposed in one ofthe compartments and a rinsing solu-V y tion is disposed in .another of the compartments. i "1.5i t A pumping 1impeller is disposed longitudinally.

ofthe tank. 1` Where large quantities of materiali `are to be `treated'impellersmay be disposed at' each side fof the tank; In the smaller sizes but' a single impeller may be disposed longitudinally- 2W of one side of the tank.

1 K Provision is made for preventing Vthe materials being treated from being'contacted with and by impeller blades.` `The impellers are each-powerv l driven.

* p25 A piurauty Yof spaced. feed rollers run ionen e tudinally of` the tank and a common drive inde.-` pendently drives each of the rollers. The rollers e run through a bearing support disposed'in thei partition that separates the tank into compart- 30 ments and a spiral thread outwardly, extends from theouter surface ofthe feed rollersijThe rollers are powerfdriven -to thereby conne the articles being conveyed and washed between the rollers and as driven, the rollers feed theartlcles .35 beirigwashed longitudinallyof the tank.

A feeding stationis disposed at one end of the tank and a discharge station is disposed atthe oppositely disposed endof the tank. l l

Suitable means are provided" for isolatingfthe 40 metallic yparts disposed inthe tank, comprisingv `my washer, to protect the same from the disintegratingaction of theacid solutions. e

t The primary purpose and object of my inven- .4 tion vis toprovide a relatively simple and efcient Washing machine for the washing of fruit `and farm products .and other materials.

A still. further object of my invention consists in so constructing the same that `the metal parts co prised within `the construction areprotected fromthe disintegrating action `of the acid`solu` tions during the. operation ofthe machine. f A still further object of my invention consists so constructing the device vthat it vwill have a Q55 minimum of first cost and one` that willhave a p solution. It is equally important to use a matelongand useful life` wlthpractical freedom from operating annoyances. v `And a still further object .of my invention con sists in so constructing thesame that it will have a maximum e treating capacity `commensurate 5 with the `space occupied and with the powerrequired for driving the-same. l

Y VWhere encrustations have formed `upon the surface of the fruit that` may not be easily removed in the washing operation by the ordinary l0 methods it may be foundnecessary to place anv abrasive in the washing solution that will aid in the scouring Aof such coatings from the surface of thefruit; `This scouring of the fruit is especially `necessary where an oil spray isused in the l5 orchards. In the Washing ofv some of Athe varieties of fruit the wax coat that forms upon the-fruit in the `late season has a tendency to `encompass the spray residue as the' arsenate of lead residue andit is diicult to remove the spray residue by the ordinary processes now in general use. Under such conditions I place an abrasive in the treating tanks and especially in the primary washing tank. The abrasive, or scouring material should belight in -weightandone that will not easily disentegrate through the violent action imparted to the treating solutions by my impellers. IV have had splendid: results in the `use of saw dust. I have tried cork particles and have also had satisfactory results from its use.` I do not wishto be limited in the use of saw dust and cork as other materials may be used to produce equally satisfactory results. `'I'he `materials that are to be used as the abrasive should be such that it may be confined Within the treating tanks andone that will not form encrustations upon the machine parts and upon the walls of the tanks. It should also be vof such a nature'that it may be passed through the pump cylinders and the` passageways that lead to and 40 away from the pump cylinders when such pumps are used in the Washingoperations. It is desirable to use an abrasive, or scouring material thatwill not harden when placed in the washing rial that will not penetrate. or break the skin ofV the fruit. I believe that best results are to be obtainedwhere the scouring materials will oat upon the surface of the solutions vvhenthe solu- 50 tions are in a quiescent state. Relatively 4coarse and uniformsawdust from the soft Woods are believed to produce the best results and this is especially true when certain varieties `of pears e are to be washed. l v

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in ce1-tail novel features of construction and combination of parts. the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side View of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine. This view is an end view of the drive end of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a sectional end view of the machine.

This view is taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l, looking in` the direction indicated.

Fig. 6 is a perspective end view of one of the impellers shown removed from the machine.

Fig. 7 is a plan view, partially in section of the impeller shaft shown removed from the impeller assembly.

Fig. 8 is a sectional end view of the impeller shaft. This view is taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of the impeller shaft and of the journal bearing illustrati'ng the shaft having the journal bearing removed therefrom. l

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view, partially in section of the feed rollers and the connections that secure the same together in the respective and adjacent treating tanks.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional side view of the tank disposed adjacent the end of the impeller and is ma-de to illustrate a deflector plate that is disposed adjacent the end of the impeller. This view is taken on line II--II of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the deector illustrated in Fig. 11.

Like reference characters referto like parts throughout the several views.

I preferably form my device of a fabricated frame that is supported upon and within suitable supporting posts I. A treating tank or vat 2 is disposed within the frame. This tank is partitioned into primary and secondary treating tanks.

Since an aciduous solution may be used in the treating of the fruits or vegetables it is necessary to so construct the assembly that the acids will not distintegrate the metals used in the construe tion of the device.

The treating solution tank is comprised ofV a plurality of bottom members Sand side members 4. The bottom andfside members are preferably made of wood and are secured together by longi tudinal strips 5 that are placed within matched grooves that are formed within the adjacent edges of the side and bottom members.

A top or cover 6, preferably made of sections is removably placedupon the top of the side members to form an enclosed treating solution holdingv tank, or vat.

A power driven impeller runs longitudinally of one side of the tank. To render the impeller effective, the same runs and operates within a half circular shell. This half circular shell is comprised of a bottom member 'I and a top member 8. The same are secured together at their adjacent edges 9 and I 0 to form a shell that forms a segmental arc Il that runs longitudinally of the top and bottom member and the segmental arc forms substantially a half circle.

The splitting of the half circular shell makes it possible to adjust the shell as shrink or well occurs in the split members and/or in the impeller blades. This adjustment makes it possible to maintain a proper working relationship between the impeller and the housing therefor.

'I'he impeller is comprised of a shaft I2, and blades, here shown as four in number, at I3, I4, I5 and I6. Each of these blades is attached to the shaft and to each other. A power take-off is providedat one end of the impeller shaft and a sprocket Il is disposed upon the shaft and toy `which, and about which a driving chain I8 is trained for supplying the power of rotation to the shaft.

. The impeller shaft is journaled relative to the frame in suitable journal bearings I9, 20 and 2l. A stub shaft 22 is journaled at the drive end of the frame in bearings 23 and 24 and power rotation is applied to the shaft 22 by any suitable means as by the placing of a pulley 25 thereupon and to which any suitable belt may be attached. The power for the machine is secured from any suitable source, not here shown.

A sprocket 26 is placed upon the shaft and the chain I8 is trained about the respective sprockets I1 and 26. The central portion of the impeller shaft I2 is made square and the ends of the shaft, as shown at 21 and 28, are made cylindrical to adapt the same to the respective journal bearings. The blades of the impellers are preferably made of suitable wood and that portion of the shaft that is disposed within the tank or vat is treated with a non-porous material, as asphalturn, or tar in advance of the impeller blades being attached thereto to render the same impervious to the disintegration of the acid treating solutions.

In order that the impeller blade members may be properly reinforced, reinforcing bars 29 and 30 are placed upon the oppositely disposed sides of the companion members, and suitable fastening bolts pass through the reinforcing bars and through the impeller blade members I4 and I6 and I3 and I5 and through the shaft. The peripheral edge of each of the blades is chamfered and runs in, juxtaposition with the inner surface of the top and bottom members that form the half circular shield.

The fluid picked up by the blades is trapped and is carried between the inner surface of the half circular shield and the impeller blades. The power rotation of the impeller bla-des thus forms a pump that throws the treating fluids in a sheet and with great agitation over the top surface of the materials being treated that are carried through the treating tank or vat. y

Shields 3| and 32 are placed at the oppositely disposed ends of the impeller, and the ends of the impeller blades operate in close working relationship with the inside surfaces of the shields 3l and 32.

In order that the current of pumped fluid bcing delivered from the impeller blades may be delivered in a sheet of lesser width than that of the length of the impeller blades. I place blocks 33 and 34 upon the inner surface of each of the shields. This is shown somewhat in detail in Figs. 11 and 12. The inner surface of these blocks is curved as illustrated at 35 in Figs. ll

and l2 and this confines the pumped fluid and delivers the saine within the tank without end splash being developed outside of the length of the impeller blades.

These shields also force the stream of fluid being pumped toward each other from the ends Aof the impellerltoward the centerof the ima pellers.` further increases the.,.`agitation of the. pumped washing uid to therebyvincrease,

the Washing and Ascrubbing efiiciencyqgof the washing solutions. y i, Y

NA screen 3B`preferab1y made-cfa fabric ma; terial ascanvas is `disposed transversely ofthe initial treating tank and it ,isA disposeddmrnedi-Y ately at the rear` of4 the shield4 32.., Thescreen 4is slitted as `illustrated at'31 in VFig..5 to formdown-` Wardly extendingngers 38 beneath which the` materials being conveyed throughV the treating vat `are made to pass.` The screen prevents splash from the primary treating tank `into, the` secondary rinsing tank and at the same time permits a; :free flowing `of the materials being washed past the screen without any resistance.

` i A feeding station 39 is provided at the entrance end of the machine and materials, from a source of supply not here shown., are fed down the chute 40 into the `feeding station.

A plurality of feeding rollers 4| extend longitudinally ofthe primary washing tank and of the secondary rinsing tank. These feeding rollers are` parallelly disposed relative to each other. A screw thread is spirally disposed upon'the outer surface of each of the feeding rollers;

"Ihave found satisfactory results may be obtained `in the placing of this spiral thread about the feed roller by placing a strand of rope there-` around of the requiredsize. Thepower driven rollers are so spaced that the articles being washed Vwill not pass therebetween. The drive for these spaced rollers is accomplished by thel placing of a pair of coacting gears 42 and 43 upon the respective shafts 22 `and 44. The gear 43 being disposed yupon the driving stub shaft 22 and the gear 42 being placed uponthe driven shaft 44. Driving sprockets -45 and 46 are disposed upon the shaft l44 and driving and idler sprockets are disposed about `each of the shafts upon which the feed rollers are mounted, and

` driving chains 41 and 48 are trained about the respective driving and yidler sprockets and about the sprockets disposed `upon the shaft 44.

This drivingassembly is best illustrated in Fig. 4.

I provide a separator bar 49 longitudinally of the primaryl andthe secondary treating tanks. The upper end 50 of the separator bar inwardly extends and forms a lip I that extends toward and terminates above the feed rollers 52. The purpose of this separator bar is to prevent the materials beingwashed from coming in contact with the impeller and to confine the flow of the y material within the respective tanks. The spacing of the separator bar from the adjacent feed roller 52. is suflicient to prevent articles being washed from falling therebetween.

A bar 53 is also placed adjacent the outside feed roller 54 and `prevents the articles being washed from being carried betweenthe feed ro1ler 54.and the inside wall 55 ofthe tank.

The primary treating tank and the'secondary treating tank are separated byia division wall 56 and the shafts upon which the respective feed rollers are mounted pass through this division wall and the bearings disposed about the shaft,

`where they pass through the wall, are made sufficiently tight to prevent the flowing of the` aciduous treating solutions from the primaryv treating tank intothe secondary tank into which the rinsing solutions aremaintained.

The feed rollers in the secondary washing tank are a continuation andare made similar to those of the feed'rollers within the primary treating i within the member 6i.

tank.` The, discharge end wall 51 of the secondarytreating tankis made sufficiently low ,tol

permit the articles to1be'delivered 4overtheto'p vof the same by the feed rollers. `These washed and rinsedarticles are delivered onto an. inclined discharge platform 58, and'lfrom wherexthe conditioned articles are delivered .to sorting `and in-` spection tables.

l, Appbearing lforming member 5,9k is superposed the division wall- 56` and ajournalV bearing 60 is provided therein for` each of the rollers.` Each of the roller members has connecting bars 6L and 62 disposed therein Vand each of the connection bars is securedto, the rollers byisuitable fastening" pins `63 and (i4.` The u bearing member 5L, has a squaredghole `65 disposed within its end and After the assembly has been made the metal is isolated through the use of tar, bitumin or other suitable acid insulating agencies to prevent the direct actionof the aciduous solution upon the respectivemetal materials disposed within the bearingsv and disposed within the rollers. The squared portion of the shaft l2 is insulated from the aciduous solutions by pitch or'bitumin material as heretofore described. i

Rubber sleeves 61 and 68 vare disposed adjacent the squared portion of the shaft I2 as illustrated in Fig. 7 and these rubber sleeve members pass through the walls 69 and 56 and the shields 3| and 32 respectively and through which sleeves the shaft passes in emerging from the treating solution tank. The flanges 'Il and l2 are formed integral with the sleeve and form a connection between the sleeve and theinner wall of thetank.

Therubber sleeves have outwardly extendingends as illustrated at 13 and 14 to forma connection adjacent the outer surface of the respective flange members and about shafts 21 and 28 respectively where they pass through the tank walls. This sleeve protects the metal shaft between the `ends of the impeller and the inner side walls of the tank; this is best `illustrated in Fig. 3 at 15 and 16.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the l objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to` confine the invention to the embodiment herein shown and describedy as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the com bination of a shaft, aportion of the shaft bef tween its ends being rectangular in cross sectional area, impeller blades secured to the rectangular portion of the shaft and a cementitious material insulating the rectangular portion of the shaft from liquid penetration, the remaining portion of l the shaft from the rectangular portion to each end being cylindrical, rubber sleeves disposed about a portion of each cylindrical end section and flanges secured to the rubber sleeves and disposed adjacent the outer ends of each of the rubber sleeves.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a shaft having an impeller disposed 4upon'the central portion of the shaft, means for insulating that portion of the shaft upon which the impeller is disposed from water contact, rub- 5 ber sleeves abutting the impeller ends and extending toward the ends of the shaft,vrubber flanges disposed about the rubber sleeves and disposed adjacent the outer ends ofthe sleeves and means for confining the splash developed by the impeller 10 within the length of the impeller blades.

` 3. In a washing machine having a fluid therein, the combination of va shaft having an impeller disposed upon the central portionthereof. said end portions of the shaft being cylindrical and 15 passing through the end walls or the washer. rubber sleeves disposed about the cylindrical ends of the shaft between the end of the impeller and the end walls, rubber washers disposed about the rubber sleeves and adjacent the end walls, means disposed at each end of the impeller for conning the splash developed Aby the impeller Within the length of the impeller blades, splash guides adjustabiy secured to the side wall of the washer adjacent the impeller, said guides having a substantially quarter circle face spaced apart from the longitudinal outer edges of the impeller blades, and means for vertically adjusting the splash guides for determining the volume and distance of the splash.

AUGUST GUIGNARD. 

